Group Urges Contractors Not to Bid on Border Wall

Just days before the preliminary border wall bids are to be submitted,

More Than Forty Civil Rights, Immigration, Labor & Community Groups Urge Companies Not to Bid on Border Wall Contract

Groups call on companies to publicly commit not to profit from multi-billion dollar “symbol of racism & xenophobia”

NATIONAL – More than forty civil rights, immigration, labor and community groups joined together to urge companies to publicly commit not to bid on the proposed border wall project. The letter, addressed to prominent construction firms, was sent just prior to Customs and Border Patrol’s Wednesday deadline for initial proposals.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration began the process of looking for a contractor to build the border wall. More than 500 companies have reportedly already shown interest in designing or constructing the wall or a prototype of it. Meanwhile, the letter, which can be read here, highlighted widespread opposition to the wall among Americans, citing a recent poll demonstrating that some 62 percent of Americans disapprove of its construction.

Legislators in at least seven states and four cities have proposed legislation to keep local funds from going to companies that support construction of the border wall. In some cases officials are calling for those who bid on or win the wall contract to be banned from winning local construction contracts with the city or state. In other cases, they are working to withdraw public investments in these companies through state pension funds and beyond.

The following organizations sent the letter:

Partnership for Working Families

Action Center on Race and Economy (ACRE)

Alliance for Greater New York (ALIGN NY)

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

Bend the Arc Jewish Action

Casa San Jose

CAUSE

Center for Popular Democracy

Center for Social Inclusion

Citizen Action Wisconsin

Community Labor United

Connecticut Center for a New Economy (CCNE)

Credo Action

East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)

FRESC

Gamaliel

Global Exchange

Grassroots Global Justice Alliance

Hedgeclippers

In The Public Interest (ITPI)

ISAIAH

Jobs with Justice

Labor Network for Sustainability

Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE)

Make the Road New York

Massachusetts Voter Table

National Black Worker Center

National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON)

National Domestic Workers Alliance

National Guestworker Alliance

National Immigration Law Center

New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH)

Orange County Communities Organizing for Responsible Development (OCCORD)